Bowling-alley.



J. P. KBBNAN. BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLIGATION FILED JARS, 1912.

Patented May 7, 1912.

WMZ/MSM 1 EM i. @m

JosEPH P, KE'ENAN, 0F WATEBBURY, CONNECTICUT. s'

BOWLING-ALLEY.

Specification o! Letters Patent,

applicati@ ined January c, 1912'. seriiNo. 669,770.

ingAlleys, which improvement; -are fully` set forth in the following speci cation.

This inventionrelates to improvements in game devices of that class commonly known as bowling alleys; and its object is to provide a bowling alley which shall be simple and comparatively inexpensive yas regards construction; durable, efficient and reliable' in practical service; which shallv embody novel features whereby is insured the maintenance in motion of the respective pins to be bowled over, thereby 'eliciting the exercise of the utmost skill and cleverness on the part of each player ymaking use ofthe device; and which shall possess certain welldefined advantages over prior analogous constructions.

vThe invention consists in the combinations, details and parts whereby, togethen with the noveldisposition and relative arrangement of said parts, the attainment of the foregoing object is rendered practicable,v

longitudinal section of same, as along the" line .fu-of' Fig. 1. \Fig..3 is aV detailplan view showing more particularly the dri-vingy mechanism and adjacent parts made use of,

and .l disclosed upon removal of the pin-supporting bed. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing 1n perspective certain minor coperat- I construction leaves the bed 2, at all times, 1n

ing parts ofthe device.

In carrying out my.4 invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, I

4make use of a circular plu-supporting 'bed 2, ofany appropriate construction, though preferably'formed of tongued and grooved strips or members, held snugly together by a peripheral band 3, as clearly `illustrated in the drawings. Bed 2, with the band thereon, when used, fits with fair accuracy into a semi-circular recess formed in the distant end of the alley floor 4, with its upper sur- -PatenteaMay 7, 1912; s,

face, which bears the pin-spots 5, flush with the upper surface of the latter, said semi-y circular recess and said bed coinciding in radii, and said floor being of any appropriate and well-known construction.

6 denotes a circular, upright rail which es,- sentially supports the bed 2, and which is preferably surmounted by a fiat annulus 7, of metal or other suitable material, said annulus having a smooth upper surface constituting a trackway. I l

Anti-friction devices 8, each conveniently inthe form of a easter, are interposed between the rail 6, and the bed 2, 4the same be' ing, in this instance, attached to the bed 2 at appropriate intervals along the under margin' thereof, and adapted to engage and roll along the rail 6, or the-trackway aforenamed formed by the annulus 7, whenv the latter is used,said anti-friction devices', accordingly, serving to incidentally support the bedv 2 relatively to the rail 6,- and permit free ro- `tative movement'thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

There is attached centrally to the bed 2, l

at its under side, a plate 9, which has a central opening 2' provided with a flat side, or a plurality ofiat sides, as clearly indicated in thedrawings; and ordinarily the bedV 2 will have a socket opening 2'. 4' denotes an upright arbor, whose upper portion is provided with a flat side, or a plurality of flat sides, as clearly 'indicated 3' in registry with the s in the drawings, and adapted to enter and fit the opening 2' in such a manner that hed 2 will'be rotated upon impartation to said arbor of a corresponding movement, ,the

socket 3,', aforenamed, permitting the upper portion of the arbor 4; to project through `and somewhat beyond the` plate 9, by way of the. opening 2'-, aforenamed It lwill be here noted that the foregoing "yoke 5', secured, as to the permanent floor 6', by means of suitable fastepers 7.', 8', and

at its lower end'in a cup-bearing 9', strad-v 110 dled by the yoke aforenamed, and also secured to the floor 6 by means of suitable fasteners, as the screws 2, 3". 4-is a sheave fast on the arbor 4, and on -whieh operates a beltI 5, leading from any appropriate' source of power and motion,

v and, in this instance, passing through opposite Openings fformed'at suitablevpomts- 'in the rail It will beseen that the arbor 4 serves to determine the axis. of movement of the bed 2, and also theaxis of .the semi-circular yrecess formed in ithe alley Hoor 4, and', as may be found desirable in practice, the joint between the bedZ and the floor 4 may be kept j duly lubricated.

` In the operation ofmy improved bowlin alley,`a slow 'rotative movement is imparte through the medium of the sheave 4 and the belt 5 operating thereon, or any other appropriate.. transmission mechanism, to the arbor 4, which, in turn, transmits -its slow rotative movement .thus received, to the bed 2. Hence, the bowling-pins, as customarily employed in the .so-called 'game of bowling, being placed, each in an upright `position on one of the spots 5, and so as to placeable upon,the rail 6,aeeess to the arbor 4 and parts coperating therewith, for purposes/of repairs, adjustments, or the like,

ymay be readily had.

It will be further seen that my improved bowling alley is particularly well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended', and also that the same may be modified to a considerable extent, particularly as regards the means made use of for moving the pinsupporting bed relatively to the floor 4, whereby the pins supported by said bed are presented at varying angles to the player, and various minor details of the general construction, without materially d-eparting from the spirit and principle of my invention.

I claim: f

1. A bowling -alley comprising an alley floor, a pin-supporting bed movable relatively to said Hoor, and means for moving said bed. v.

2. A bowling alley comprising an alley ,floor having a semi-circular recess at its distant end, a circular pin-supporting bed movable within ythe recess of said Hoor and relaticyely thereto, and means for moving said be v 3. A bowling alley comprising an alley floor, a circular rail at the distant end of said floor, a pinlsupporting bed movable on said rail and relatively to the floor aforenamed, and means for moving said bed.

4. A bowling alley comprlsing an` alley floor, an annular trackway at the distant end of said door, `a pin-supporting bed having an anti-frictional conta'et with, and movable concentrically to and along said trackway relatively to the loor aforenamed, and'means for moving said bed.

5. A bowling alley comprising an alley floor having a semi-circular recess at its dis"- tant end, an annular trackway also'at the distant endof said floor, a pin-supporting bed movable on said trackway, an uprightarbor engaging said bed and turning as a unit therewith, said arbor determining the v'axis of movement of said bed and the axis of the semi-circular recess aforenamed, and means for rotating said arbor.

6. Iny a bowling alley, in combination, :in annular trackway, a pin supporting bed mounted on said trackway for movement concentrically thereto; and an upright arbor, the latter projecting centrally into said bed and movable rotarily only therewith.

7. In a bowling alley, in combination, an annular traekway, a pin-supporting bed mounted on said trackway, for movement concentrically thereto, said bed carrying centrally at its under side, aplate provided with a central, flat-sided opening, and an upright arbor, the latter having a flattened portion projecting into the opening of said plate, whereby is insured a rotary movement only of said arbor as a unit with said bed.

8. A bowling alley comprising a pinsupporting bed, means for supportlng said bed for movement rotarily, an arbor engaging said bed for movement rotarily therewith, a sheave on said arbor, and a driving belt, the

`latter operating on said sheave.

9. A bowling alley comprising an alley lfloor having a semi-circular recessat its dis- JOSEPH P. KEENAN.

Witnesses:

CATHARINE C. ENNIs, JOHN J. SHEEHAN. 

